MOST youths today prefer to spend countless hours on their smartphones consuming content on varying social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, or television instead of getting immersed in a good book like the older generation did back in the black-and-white days.
Dawn Smith-Greaves has the only bookstore at Bourda Market between Orange Walk and Robb Streets, with her little, well-kept stall at the corner, an ideal location where she has dozens of books to interest readers.

The 64-year-old told Pepperpot Magazine that as a lover of books who came from a family of avid readers, they always had many books in the house, and she would spend her spare time reading as many books as possible.
She started the bookstore business in 1995 when she secured a stall at Bourda Market because she had so many books and didn’t know what to do with them.
Previously, Smith-Greaves was a newspaper vendor for more than 40 years, and after she retired from that job, she wanted something to do to keep working; thus, the birth of the bookstore was realised.

With her very large book collection, she amassed over the years, Smith-Greaves knew she was doing the right thing because she wanted to share the joy of reading with others.
At Smith-Greaves’ bookstore, you can browse the wide variety of books there to choose from at a mere cost of $200 per book to borrow or exchange.
“It is simple: you bring a book, you take a book and pay $200 per book, and I do have my regular customers, the ones that still read,” she said.

When asked if the business is worth it, she related that it isn’t a high-traffic area, meaning not many people visit to exchange books to read or bring books but she has some customers and is keeping the doors open for them until it is possible.
She remembered that, as a young girl growing up in a household with many siblings, she had a lot of books and was never in need of them. They would read all kinds of books, even the ones they were cautioned not to.

But Smith-Greaves had already read all the children-rated books in their house, and back then, it would take just about two hours to complete reading a book.
She told Pepperpot Magazine that these days, she would still read and enjoy a good book, but she doesn’t do it like when she was much younger. However, her love for reading is still there.
Smith-Greaves opined that reading broadens your scope and increases your knowledge about many things, so instead of listening to nonsense, she encourages people to read more, talk less and spend time with themselves engaged with a book of their choice.

She is a resident of ‘A’ Field, Sophia, and she would open her bookstore from 7am to 4pm except on Wednesdays, Sundays and holidays.
Smith-Greaves related that from time to time, people would stop by to donate books to her and gladly, she would accept since she never refuses free books to add to her collection.
Occasionally, she would buy books, but her main supply comes from donations from the public, and she is quite grateful for that.
Smith-Greaves has a collection of romance, thriller, mystery, crime, horror, and children-themed books, and she urges everyone to stop by and get a book to read when they have the time to spare.

As a family of readers, six girls and four boys, she reported that they all developed the habit of reading at a young age and that prepared them for adulthood.
“When you read from a book, it stays with you, unlike when you download it from a computer or smartphone and reading for me is still fundamental,” she said.

Smith-Greaves stated that reading prepares you for speaking and how you go about relating to your daily life, and it adds instead of taking away, and it is a vital part of a person’s development.
Alexis Smith, 72, the eldest sister of Smith-Greaves who was at the bookstore, told the Pepperpot Magazine that reading is good and back in the day she would read three books per day and could completely read a book in a few hours.

Today, due to old age she would watch television more than read but she would still indulge in a book of her choice when the need arises.
Smith-Greaves’s book stall at Bourda Market in the city is the only surviving bookstore in the market and the few remaining bookstores and community-based libraries are drying up and closing.

Bookstores and shops, or be it a bookstall, is a safe space where people meet to explore their options, discover newer books and make purchases.
It can be fiction, non-fiction, self-help, or educational materials, and a bookstore is where people can find all these options in one location.
Bookstores worldwide also serve as places where people can gather, discuss literature, attend author events, and engage with a community of fellow readers.
Bookstores are usually diverse, but most have something for everyone, catering to different tastes, ages, and preferences, it is a place for new experiences in books.